Nonglare headlight



Dec. 21, 1937. J. A. VON WALD NONGLARE HEADLIGHT Filed July 7, 1956 Patented Dec. 21, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,103,208 NONGLARE HEADLIGHT John A. Von Wald, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application July 7,1936, Serial No.89,273

Claims. (01. 240-413).

My invention relates to a type of headlight for a motor vehicle in which the direct rays of light from the filament of a lamp bulb are prevented from having a pronounced upwardly inclined b path which might cause a glare to approaching drivers and also in which the beam of light including both the direct and the reflected light from the filament is directed through a comparatively narrow channel in a downward direction 19 and having a lateral spread.

An object and feature of my invention consists of forming the main portion of the headlight,

that is, the reflector, in a shape practically of a sphere on its inside surface and from one side of the sphere there is a channel through which the direct and reflected light is projected to illuminate a highway. In this construction the lamp bulb is placed in close proximity to the inside surface of the spherical reflector remote from the channel so that the major portion of the light from the bulb which passes through the channel results from light which has been reflected one or more times from the inside of the sphere prior to its passage through the channel. Another object and feature and characteristic of my invention is in the form of a channel through which the light passes from the interior of the sphere, such channel having practically parallel upper and lower surfaces with diverging lateral side surfaces. These however merge in an oval construction and at the opening at the end of the channel there is provided an oval lens or window. A detail feature of this is the characteristic of the oval opening and lens or window which has an upper part of an oval of one dimension, at least of a relatively small vertical dimension and the lower oval has a relatively large vertical dimension or diameter. This construction of the window or lens and also due to the shape of the channel and the inclination of this channel, prevents the rays of light being directed upwardly above the horizontal and causes this light to be directed in a more or less downwarddirection towards the road with a lateral spread.

Another feature of my invention as to the mechanical construction of the reflector and housing comprises making the spherical reflector and the channel with a horizontal joint, this joint having contacting flanges which may be bolted together, the lens socket beingmounted in an opening at therear of the spherical reflector in alignment with the flange. The housing is made in a front and a rear section with a cir cumferential joint so that the reflector assembly may b properly seated in guides in the rear part of the housing. The front part of the housing with the lens is then attached to the rear part and by means of a pressure screw operating on the rear part of the spherical reflector, the re flector assembly may be properly adjusted in regard to the lens.

My invention is illustrated in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through the reflector and housing taken substantially on the line l-l of Fig. 2 in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on the line 22 of Figs. 1, 3 or 4 in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation taken in the direction of the arrow 3 of Figs. 1 or 2.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken on the line 4-4 of Figs. 1 or 2.

Dealing first with the reflector assembly, this structure includes a spherical shaped reflector H with an outlet channel l2 for light. vThe spherical portion of the reflector has a center l3 andthis portion of the reflector is formed with a radius indicated at Id. The reflector is formed with an upper section l5 and a lower section l6 having a horizontal joint l1. At this joint both the" upperand lower parts have flanges l8. Such flanges are on the outside of the reflector and conform to the shape of the reflector in a horizontal plane through the center, this plane extending through the channel structure, thus the throat of the channel has a horizontal measurement indicated at l9 and avertical measurement indicated at 20. It will be noted that the upper and lower parts of the reflector where they merge into the throat of the channelat the vertical measurement, "practically diverge from the spherical shape but in a horizontal plane. The surface of the reflector spirals outwardly as indicated at 2|, thus causing a slight divergence in the horizontal plane from the direct sphere of the main portion of the reflector.

The upper part of the channel has an upper surface portion 22 which slopes downwardly and also the lower portion 23 has a surface which slopes downwardly and a continuation of such nel is decidedly greater than the horizontal measurement l9 at the throat, this outside edge 25 of the channel thus having a pronounced divergence. This structure causes the opening 21 at the end of the channel to be formed with two ovals in which it may be considered that the upper portion 28 has a half diameter 29 and the lower portion 3|! has a half diameter 3|, these being the vertical measurements. It will be noted therefore, that by this construction the upper half oval may be considered as of a flatter shape than the lower half oval. This causes the light which passes through the channel to illuminate, for instance, a vertical wall in front of the reflector with an oval pattern of light somewhat similar to the shape of the oval in which the lateral spread is much greater than the longitudinal spread but however, on account of the downward inclination of the channel, this light illuminating the road has a much greater longitudinal spread than the lateral spread and thus the light is projected a considerable distance ahead of the vehicle and still does not give a glare rising above the horizontal, as it is my intention that the reflector when properly housed and adjusted has the flange in a horizontal plane. In order to further prevent an upward glare the lower part 23 of the channelhas a dull inside surface and the upper part 22 has a bright or polished surface.

The lamp bulb 35 is mounted in a bayonet type of socket 38 which extends through an opening 31 in the rear of the spherical portion of the reflector, this socket being mounted on a bracket 38 secured to one of the half portions of the reflector, it being illustrated as attached to the upper half section. Thus when the two half sections are assembled by bolting the flanges together, the lamp bulb must be inserted through the channel, a special tool being provided for this purpose. Secured to one or both of the flanges at the rear end of the reflector I employ an arch shaped bridging piece 39, this having a shallow recess or depression 40 for purposes hereinunder detailed.

For mounting the reflector I utilizea housing 45 which has a rear section 45 and a front section 41, these being connected by an overlapping joint 48 and secured by bolts 49. The rear portion has guide brackets 50 located on opposite sides in horizontal alignment, thus forming a horizontal guide channel 5| for engaging the flanges l8 of the assembled reflector when such reflector is thrust inwardly into the rear portion of the housing, the front portion being removed for this purpose. An approximate adjustment is Obtained for the reflector when so centered as these brackets have an arcuate edge 52 conforming to the spherical shape of the reflector. The front portion of the housing has an inwardly turned flange 53 which it will be noted, is wider in a vertical diametrical line than in the horizontal line, there being thus a somewhat oval opening 54. The lens 55 is held in place by means of a suitably shaped clamping ring 56 holding the glass of the lens or window in place against a gasket 51. In addition an internal gasket 58 is glued or cemented to the inside of the flange 53 adjacent the opening 54. Therefore when the front portion of the housing is bolted to the rear portion, an adjusting screw 53 threaded through a boss 50 in the rear portion of the housing and engaging in the recess All on the bridging piece 39, thrusts the whole reflector assembly slightly forward into tight contact with the gasket 58 and thus with the inturned flange 53, therebyholding the reflector assembly in proper adjustment in regard to the lens or window. The lamp may have the electric wires indicated at 5| extend from the socket outwardly through a bushing 52 in the rear part of the housing.

It will be noted by this construction when the housing is properly located, this having the outside conventional bullet-shape now popular with motor vehicles and the lamp assembly in proper adjustment, that practically none of the direct rays of light from the lamp filament can be projected much above a horizontal line parallel to the upper edge of the opening of the channel. Of course a'certain amount of light will be directed upwardly which is reflected from the rear lower portion of the reflector but this does not have a pronounced glare. On account of using a substantially spherical reflector, the major portion of the light which passes outwardly through the channel has been reflected back and forth many times in this spherical reflector before being projected through the narrow channel throat. It will be noted that the divergence of the outer edge 26 of the throat in horizontal plane is practically from the filament center of the bulb as indicated by the dotted line 63 (Fig. 2), whereas the light in a vertical plane from the center of this bulb indicated by the dotted line 64 (Fig. 1) has only a slight upward path from the filament.

A characteristic of my invention is that the road illumination is secured almost entirely either by the direct light from the lamp 35 passing through the channel l2 and the lens 55 or the light which passes through this channel by a first reflection from the rear portion of the spherical reflector i I. Of course, any light which is directed with rays substantially parallel to the upper and lower sides 22 and 23 of the channel l2 or the diverging sides 25 also illuminates the road. A function of having the reflector I I spherical resides in part that the front half of this reflects light from the lamp 35 towards the rear side of the spherical reflector and brilliantly illuminates this rear portion of the reflector. By a third reflection, such light is diffused passing through the channel l2 and the lens 55. Such light has a wide spread considered laterally and also vertically and therefore, is observable by a driver of an approaching vehicle or a pedestrian as somewhat brilliant but not a glaring illumination of the rear portion of the reflector ll. Thus, drivers of approaching vehicles or pedestrian are apprised of the approach of the vehicle having headlights without being subjected to the intense glare of the light focused to illuminate the road. Due to the downward inclination of the upper side 22 of the channel 12, the direct light from the lamp 35 and such light as the first reflection which strikes this side is reflected downwardly thus illuminating the road quite close to the vehicle. When a certain amount of light reflected from the back portion of the spherical reflector is reflected by the lower part 23 of the light channel this also is reflected upwardly giving a diffused light without any intense glare.

It is to be noted moreover, by the special shape of the window opening 21 having the lens 55 therein which is somewhat oval with the long axis horizontal, that the focus light for illuminating the road has a considerable lateral spread and a sufficient vertical spread to illuminate the road close to the vehicle as well as a considerable distance ahead of such vehicle. Moreover, it will be noted that the upper portion above the horizontal plane indicated by the half diameter .29 is a part oval with a lesser radius on its periphery than the lower half 30 having the half diameter 3|. This shape of opening in the lens prevents rays of light having a glare from being projected upwardly a sufiicient distance above the horizontal to be normally objectionable.

Various changes may be made 'in the details of the construction without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A headlight comprising a reflector substantially circular on its vertical diameter, the rearportion being circular on its horizontal diameter but the forward portion on the horizontal diameter having an outward somewhat spiral curve, a structure forming a channel extending outwardly from the forward portion of the reflector, said channel having side walls diverging symmetrically from a vertical plane through the center of the reflector, a lamp mounted on the rear portion of the reflector with its center located substantially at the intersection of the vertical longitudinal plane and horizontal longitudinal plane through the reflector, the said channel having upper and lower walls sloping downwardly and merging with the side walls to form some- What of an oval considered in a vertical transverse plane, the line of divergence of the side walls of the channel being substantially on a line from the center of the lamp.

2. A headlight structure comprising in combination a housing having a rear hollow portion with guide brackets, a front portion having an inturned flange with an opening having a window, a hollow somewhat spherical shaped reposition the channel structure of the reflector in alignment with the said opening, the said reflector having upper and lower sections connected by a joint with flanges, the flanges being attached together, the said brackets forming a guide for receiving the said flanges.

3. A headlight structure comprising in combirically, a lamp at the rear end of the reflector,

the said flanges fitting in the guides formed by the brackets, an adjusting means operating through the rear portion of the housing, and a connection from the adjusting means to the reflector for bringing the channel structure of the reflector in alignment with the opening.

. 4. A headlight comprising a reflector substantially spherical on its inside surface and having 'a channel structure extending on an inclination downwardly from' the front side of the reflector, the reflector being formed of upper and lower sections, each with flanges, and means to attach the flanges together forming substantially a joint in a horizontal plane through the center of the reflector, the channel having sides diverging symmetrically from a vertical plane through the axis of the reflector and the channel, a lamp mounted in the rear portion of the reflector and substantially in the plane of the joint, the means for attaching the flanges including a housing, a guide bracket on opposite sides of said housing, the two opposite brackets thus being in substantially a horizontal plane, an adjusting means mounted in the housing and engaging the back of the reflector to thrust the reflector forwardly in the guide brackets, and means to limit the forward movement of the reflector and its channel.

5. A headlight comprising in combination a housing structure having a pair of opposed guide brackets, each forming a longitudinal channel and the channel being in a substantially horizontal plane, a substantially spherical reflector having a channel structure extending outwardly and at a downward inclination from the forward end, the reflector being formed in upper and lower parts each with outwardly extending flanges, the flanges contacting and forminga horizontal joint and the flanges on opposite sides are in a horizontal plane being mounted in the said channel of the guide brackets.

' JOHN A. VON WALD. 

